want RWD N*

im planning on putting a N* into a chevy LUV. i need to know what i need to do to convert this motor to a RWD setup. what tranny i need. are there headers and performance parts available for these motors? ive only dealt with the caddy big blocks, never anything like this. any info will help. you can email me at CaddyDaddy472@hotmail.com. thanks alot!

Re: want RWD N*

i'm not sure, but i think u can use an xlr tranny. probably very expensive though. it is alot easier to create different tranny mounts then to fit one on an engine it wasn't meant for.

This won't work for several reasons.....the XLR has the transmission in the rear of the car like a C5/C6 Corvette. The engine is connected to the transmission with a long torque tube that turns at engine speed like the Corvette. Nothing is impossible...but the only way to put an XLR transmission into an S truck would be to put the entire XLR drivetrain in the truck..... The XLR trans is electronically controlled and getting it to work out of an XLR as a "stand-a-lone" trans would be extremely difficult. An XLR trans in a crate would be very $$$$$ An XLR trans and the torque tube and bellhousing and such would not bolt to a FWD Northstar....you would need the RWD Northstar from the XLR to go with it... By then, you would have an XLR and all thoughts of swapping the drivetrain would be forgotten....LOL

Actually, for a project like this it is very easy to bolt up a RWD 200-4R trans from an S truck to the FWD Northstar block. CHRFAB has ALL the info on this and ALL the parts you need.

Re: want RWD N*

Bbob... IYO, how hard would it be to convert a FWD northstar platform (IE 92+ STS) to RWD.. Could it be as simple as getting a tranny,and flipping the northstar aorund (obviously without custom fabs)...

Re: want RWD N*

Originally Posted by elwesso

Bbob... IYO, how hard would it be to convert a FWD northstar platform (IE 92+ STS) to RWD.. Could it be as simple as getting a tranny,and flipping the northstar aorund (obviously without custom fabs)...

No such thing as a 92 Northstar. Northstars first were in 93 production cars.

Yes, it can be as simple as that. A V6 2004R I believe bolts to the rear of the FWD Northstar engine as the bellhousing bolt pattern is the same except for one bolt...and that one can be fabbed to fit. The dowel locations on the bellhousing are the exact same for the 2004R. Other than that it is simple plumbing and such. Mounts are obviously going to have to be custom fabbed for the application. Usually the biggest problem in a swap or installation like this is the fact that the FWD Northstar has all the cooling hardware and passages and the water pump on the rear of the engine. At the least this means some long hoses and piping forward to the radiator. In some cases this causes inteference in the firewall area as the water crossover casting projects well over the trans bellhousing. In the transverse FWD applications this is very space efficient as there is nothing else over the trans bellhousing but in a rear wheel drive application the firewall is usually well forward over the trans bellhousing. No swap like this is "simple" or "as easy as that..." but it is certainly doable. If you haven't looked at the CHRFAB website do so, there are pictures of many project cars like this.

Re: want RWD N*

There is a Chevy Luv still in existence? And you want to do what with it? Beyond the $$$ issues, and the technical issues, I have to ask....And again, I'm sorry in advance. But WHY?

Are you serious? Or are you just messing with us?

Oh, okay! BwaaahahahahAhhhahahahahah.

That was funny. Good one. You got me. Sheeeeewooo. For a moment, there, I thought you were actually serious. But deep down inside, I knew the last Chevy Luv left this Earth twenty some years ago, so putting a Northstar in one, despite all the other issues, would be impossible.

Re: want RWD N*

So basically what your saying is its possible. What rearend could you use, and I assume a custom driveshaft would have to be used....

Would the RWD system not work well on the FWD type chassis???

It would depend on what car you were putting the Northstar into....most anytype of rear end or differential could be used....just time and $$$$ to fab up the mounts and driveshaft, etc... You can have driveshafts, yokes, u-joints, etc. fabbed to mate just about anthing together. Yes, there is going to be a LOT of custom in a swap like this. Bring $$$$.

I don't know what you mean about "the RWD system not working well on the FWD type of chassis...???" The Northstar engines prior to the 04 XLR were all mounted transversely in the chassis with front wheel drive transaxles being used. If you wanted to swap the engine into another car you could turn the engine 90 degrees and bolt a rear wheel drive trans to it....at that point you aren't using the FWD components anymore. I assume the swap being discussed was not to take a TFWD car and turn it into a RWD car...???

Re: want RWD N*

you think im joking? not quite. light, small, powerful V8 in a light and small truck could only equal fast. maybe not lightning speed, but it will beat the pants off of the 350ci chevy luvs. does the caddy 200 4R hold up to the power of the N* or will it eventually blow.

Re: want RWD N*

Originally Posted by Caddy_Daddy472

you think im joking? not quite. light, small, powerful V8 in a light and small truck could only equal fast. maybe not lightning speed, but it will beat the pants off of the 350ci chevy luvs. does the caddy 200 4R hold up to the power of the N* or will it eventually blow.

what about traction? light small truck with big engine in the front and nothing in the back = WHEELSPIN i saw where there was a 240sx with a corvette motor in thier, its a very light car but it had wheel spin in every gear up to about 90 so i would go for balance than overall wieght reduction.

Re: want RWD N*

The SRX uses a RWD Northstar with a transverse transmission mounted to it. You may need to use a modern N* though... Not sure on what engineering changes were involved when they rotated it for the new cars... The STS will use this configuration too.